The invention is generally related to stoppers for containers and such, and more particularly, related to air-tight, lockable bottle stoppers.
The background information discussed below is presented to better illustrate the novelty of the present invention. This background information is not admitted prior art.
Cocktail culture is making a comeback. Those who used to have just an occasional beer or glass of wine are now enjoying drinks such as, passion fruit mojito, muddled lemonade, and a plethora of martinis. These colorful, often fruity and sweet drinks appeal not only to us, but their often candy dessert like properties are often noticed by children, especially teenaged children who think drinking such brightly colored, sweet alcoholic concoctions is a cool thing to do. Marketers of such products know how attractive and tempting these attractive looking and fruity tasting beverages are to teenagers, as well as to grown-ups, and are deliberately advertising to entice teens as well as their parents. After all, alcohol manufacturers know that teens will soon be consumers, too. Society's growing use of wine and alcoholic fruity coolers means that the liquor cabinet not only has more in it, but that what is in it is tantalizing to underage drinkers.
Most parents believe that they can trust their children to do the right thing and make good decisions. However, it is well-known that most teens will test, and many will abuse, alcohol. As early as the eighth grade, some youngsters report that they are drinking regularly, as alcohol is the drug of choice among young people. And sadly, studies show that using alcohol and tobacco at a young age increases the risk for the use of other drugs. Additionally, the use of alcohol combined with their lack of experience makes teenage drinking and driving dangerous for everyone. Alcohol-related car crashes are a leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults. Additionally, alcohol use is involved in many drowning accidents, suicides, homicides, and injuries. These facts have led most states to make it illegal to provide alcohol to minors who are not members of the family.
Thus, teen drinking is not as much an issue of trusting your child as it is a safety issue. Additionally, liability laws provide that if a minor, who is not a member of your family, gets into your unsecured liquor stock even without your permission, you may be liable if there is an accident. It comes down to making sure that all liquor in the home is kept securely unavailable for misuse. One way this can be accomplished is to keep the liquor cabinet locked. Liquor may also be made unavailable by buying only what you will consume that day. As we know though, most people do not have a lockable liquor cabinet and seldom do we shop one day at a time.